February 2014

‘70s rocker Jobriath was known as “The American Bowie”. The first openly gay rock star, he disappeared after two albums in two years. Done in by an over hyped publicity machine, shunned by the gay community and dismissed by rock critics, he retreated to the Chelsea Hotel and died as an early victim of AIDS. In the years since his death, a new generation of fans, from Morrissey to Stephin Merrit, have loudly and proudly cited Jobriath as an influence.